Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Beavers and MeadowsViva Las Vegas -- When explorer Antonio Armijo came upon the place in 1829, he found bubbling springs, abundant beavers, and grassy beaver meadows. No casinos. Armijo named the site Las Vegas – Spanish for “the meadows.” Beavers do much to shape the natural landscape. They fell trees along creeks and stack the logs and branches into dams. Before long, they’ve created wetlands that are magnets for nesting birds, from ducks and rails to warblers and blackbirds, like this one. In time, the beavers move on. The ponds fill gradually with soil and organic debris. They give way to marshes, the marshes to wet meadows, which dry a bit and, at last, to fertile expanses of green meadows. Las vegas.

Pacific NorthWest LNG project 'deeply concerns' climate change experts
A group of international climate change experts has come out swinging against a massive LNG project in Northern B.C., saying it would become one of Canada's largest greenhouse gas emitters, if allowed to move forward. In a letter to Canada's Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, the 90 scientists and experts call for a halt to the proposed Pacifc NorthWest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project near Prince Rupert. They say when all of the associated emissions are added up, the project would raise B.C.'s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 22.5 per cent at a time when both B.C. and Canada lack adequate plans to meet existing climate change goals. "This would make it virtually impossible for B.C. to meet its GHG emission reduction targets, and would undermine Canada's international climate change commitments," says the group's letter. (CBC) See also: B.C. environment minister says climate scientists' letter 'doesn't meet with reality' Matt Meuse reports. (CBC) See also: Pacific NorthWest LNG rejects climate experts’ environmental concerns Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Flush with victory over methanol, RedLine now targets LNG plant
If you thought Tacoma’s methanol protest movement — with the red shirts and bumper stickers that popped up through the spring — disappeared with the end of the Tideflats plant proposal, just look around. You could glimpse its future at a victory concert activists held in a downtown tavern on a late April Sunday afternoon. Children clad in red shirts gamboled under a hand-drawn “We Won!” sign taped to a table. A city-issued notification poster snatched off the methanol plant’s would-be site hung like a battle trophy above the musicians’ heads. At their feet, a different sign noted the movement’s next target. “No LNG,” it read, shorthand for the group’s nascent push against Puget Sound Energy’s planned liquefied natural gas plant. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Risk of devastating flood in B.C. rising says study
A new study says the risk of a devastating flood in British Columbia's Lower Mainland is increasing due to rising sea levels and other impacts of climate change. The Fraser Basin Council says a major flood along the coast or the Fraser River could be the most costly natural disaster in Canadian history, with potential losses of about $32 billion. The group says in its report that flood risks are projected to worsen over the next 85 years, both in size and frequency. The report notes dikes in the Lower Mainland were constructed in the 1970s and '80s and says 71 per cent of those assessed could fail if either the Fraser River or the coast floods, and that only four per cent of the barriers meet provincial standards for crest height. (CBC)

Democrats crowd race for Public Lands Commissioner
This fall's race for Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands — an office that oversees the state's largest firefighting force and 5.6 million acres of land — is hotly contested since no incumbent is on the ballot. Commissioner Peter Goldmark will not seek re-election to the quietly influential office. As the head of the state's Department of Natural Resources, the commissioner is responsible for healthy public aquatic lands, forests, parks and more. The department leases land to provide critical school construction money, and its firefighting efforts are a key line of defense against destructive summertime wildfires, too…. So far, Democrats make up the bulk of the hopefuls to replace Goldmark. Of those, King County Councilman Dave Upthegrove, former Spokane Mayor Mary Verner and environmental attorney Hilary Franz might be the most familiar faces. Minor candidates Seattle University professor Karen Porterfield and John Stillings, both Democrats, plus former Navy officer Steve McLaughlin, a Republican, and Libertarian Steven Nielson are also in the race. Walker Orenstein reports. (Associated Press)

Derelict Viki Lyne II to be removed from Ladysmith Harbour
A derelict boat filled with thousands of litres of oil and solvents will finally be removed from Ladysmith Harbour, according to the local MP. Sheila Malcolmson, the NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith on Vancouver Island, says she's been told by Hunter Tootoo, the minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, that the boat will be removed this summer. The commitment came after Malcolmson handed Tootoo a letter expressing the community's concerns last week. The Viki Lyne II has been an eyesore since it was found abandoned in 2012. It was towed into Ladysmith Harbour, where it remains to this day. To make matters worse, the derelict ship has an estimated 13,000 litres of oil and solvents still on board. (CBC)

Big sea stars, but no babies, observed in Lofall this week
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: “Still no babies,” commented Peg Tillery, as we arrived at the Lofall dock in North Kitsap in search of sea stars clinging to pilings under the dock. “They say there’s a comeback of the little ones,” noted Barb Erickson, “but I’m not seeing any of them.” Peg and Barb are two of three retired volunteers who first brought me to this site two years ago to explain their ongoing investigation into the mysterious “sea star wasting disease.” Since our first trip, researchers have identified the virus that attacks sea stars, causes their arms to fall off and turns their bodies to a gooey mush.

Drought prompts Cowichan River supply rationing
Cowichan River stewards are taking emergency measures to ration the water supply, calling it the new “worst year” for early drought conditions. Cowichan Lake, which feeds the river, is about 46 per cent full — the lowest late-May level since the weir was built in 1957, according to the Cowichan Valley Regional District. “This year is the worst ever. It feels like we just keep redefining the worst year, every year,” said Brian Houle, environmental manager for Catalyst Paper, which operates the weir. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist) See also: Warm spring melting Washington’s snowpack while contributing to other problems Derrick Nunnally reports (Tacoma News Tribune)

Skagit Land Trust holdings grow around Nookachamps Creek
The Skagit Land Trust recently added more conservation land to its network of protected habitat in the Nookachamps watershed east of Mount Vernon. Nookachamps Creek is one of the largest tributaries of the Skagit River, said Kari Odden of Skagit Land Trust. The Nookachamps watershed encompasses about 44,000 acres, much of it floodplains and wetlands. The trust recently acquired property in two parts of the watershed, creating the Big Lake Wetlands and expanding the Barney Lake Conservation Area. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The power of the apostrophe — to the People’s and the Peoples
Apostrophes seem so insignificant. They’re barely more than floating commas. But the little toenail clipping of a punctuation mark can change the meaning of a word or sentence. Metro Parks Tacoma officials know that. That’s why they cleared up a decade of confusion over Peoples Park this week. Sorry. People’s Park. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Report: Oil Spill On Columbia River Could Cause $170M In Damages
A new report finds an oil tanker grounding on the Columbia River could cost more than $170 million dollars in damages. Estimates show the oil tanker could spill 8 million gallons of Bakken crude oil. The report commissioned by the Washington Attorney General’s Office looks at possible accident scenarios linked to the proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver. “We concluded that oil spilled near Vancouver would reach Longview (approximately 40 miles downstream) in one day, then travel slowly through the estuary, reaching the mouth after an additional four days,” the report states. Conrad Wilson reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Friday, May 27, 2016

State, tribes reach agreement on Puget Sound salmon fishing plan
State and tribal fishery officials said Thursday that after weeks of negotiations they've agreed on a plan that will allow for a 2016-2017 Puget Sound salmon-fishing season. Recreational and non-tribal commercial salmon fishing in Puget Sound has been closed since May 1, after the state and tribes failed to come to an agreement over annual catch limits. That prompted concern that a fishing season might not happen this year. The agreement still needs federal approval, but John Long, salmon fisheries policy lead for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said anglers can start planning to fish for salmon this summer. (Associated Press)

Double tug boat crash near Nanaimo leaves vessel underwater
The Transportation Safety Board is investigating a collision between two tug boats that caused one vessel to sink near Gabriola Island, off the east coast of Vancouver Island. The safety board's Pacific operations regional manager Mohan Raman says two crew members of the Albern were thrown into the water and rescued after their tug was hit by the C.T. Titan about 6 p.m. Tuesday. He says the larger ship overpowered the smaller boat, which sank about 90 metres to the bottom of the Northumberland Channel between Gabriola and Vancouver Island. (Canadian Press)

Community group reaches $7 million goal to buy KPLU
A grass-roots campaign seeking to purchase Tacoma-based public radio station KPLU from Pacific Lutheran University reached its $7 million fundraising goal Thursday — more than a month before a deadline imposed on the group to raise enough money to buy the station…. he group still must negotiate an asset purchase agreement with PLU by June 30 — and eventually obtain approval of the deal from the Federal Communications Commission — before it can take over KPLU’s broadcast license and begin operating the station. Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

Eyman’s tax-limiting initiative unconstitutional, state Supreme Court says
The state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld a lower-court ruling striking down a ballot initiative that sought to limit taxes. The high court said Initiative 1366, sponsored by anti-tax activist Tim Eyman, was unconstitutional because it violated the requirement that initiatives be limited to a single subject. Voters last fall narrowly approved the measure, which would have cut the sales tax by 1 percentage point beginning last month unless lawmakers allowed a public vote on a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority in the Legislature for future tax increases. A King County Superior Court judge in January ruled the measure unconstitutional. Rachel La Corte reports. (Associated Press)

Meet the Northwest’s environmental justice champions
There’s a movement afoot in Seattle. It’s a new breed of environmentalism, one that aims to put people who normally get left out of the conversation about conservation right at the center of it. Because when we pollute the air and water, dam streams and rivers, and warm the climate, they are often the people who are the most impacted. The short film “Our Story,” created by Henry M. Jackson Leadership Fellow Laura Stewart and her colleague Julian Kane, highlights 24 of the thought leaders within the environmental justice movement around Puget Sound. Stewart and Kane embarked on the project in order to amplify the perspectives of those most affected by climate change, and to “remind ourselves, to remind each other, that climate justice and environmental justice are everybody’s responsibility,” Stewart says in the film. Samantha Larson reports. (Crosscut)

Repeat illegal fishing offences land B.C. man in jail — again
A commercial fisherman who sold up to $100,000 in illegally-acquired crab and halibut has been given a rare sentence of 21 days in jail for breaching his probation conditions. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says Scott Steer was arrested at sea on April 10 for "failing to comply with a court order banning him from being on any vessel other than BC Ferries." Jim Robson, the department's acting area chief for the South Coast, said Steer was apprehended at sea by members of the Canadian Coast Guard while he was en route to crab fishing grounds. Maryse Zeidler reports. (CBC)

Montana, Idaho, Wyoming Want To Be Heard On Longview Coal Terminal Permit
Dozens of people drove hundreds of miles from Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to Spokane Thursday to weigh in on a proposed coal export terminal. The terminal would sit along the Columbia River in Longview. But the permitting agencies want input from inland cities along the train tracks. If the project is approved, up to 16 trains will travel from the far corners of Montana and Wyoming to deliver coal to the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminal in Longview, Washington. Corinne Hart of Billings, Montana, said the environmental review needs to take into account effects on rail-side communities like hers, Missoula, as well as Sandpoint, Idaho. Emily Schwing reports. (NW News Network)

Greenhouse gas emission rule to add millions to Trans Mountain cost: Kinder Morgan
It will cost millions of dollars more to build the Trans Mountain expansion because of an unprecedented requirement to offset greenhouse gas emissions from pipeline construction, the project's proponent says. But Ian Anderson, president of Kinder Morgan Canada, said Thursday he has no objections to the unexpected provision because it gives the company a chance to reduce its environmental footprint. Dan Healing reports. (Canadian Press)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Guest blog:What’s Upstream Generally Comes Downstream
Guest blogger Pete Haase writes about the "What's Upstream" campaign and why it's time agriculture should be subject to the same extensive water pollution regulations and inspections almost any other industry, port or municipality is subject to.

Environmental groups criticize revisions to toxics-control act
Reform to the nation’s oldest toxic-substance control law is a step backward for Washington, state environmental policy experts say. Legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week that would enact the first significant revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act since its initial passage in 1976. No one disputed the law needed reform: it is so ineffective that only a small fraction of the roughly 84,000 registered industrial chemicals in commerce are currently subject to any federal regulations…. At issue here are potential new hurdles, delays and restrictions on states’ ability to enact their own restrictions on toxics. Instead of being a national leader on controlling toxic chemicals, Washington will now have to fall in line behind the feds and wait for EPA to take the lead, said Rob Duff, chief of staff on environmental issues for Gov. Jay Inslee. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

State and tribes could have a deal on salmon fisheries by Thursday
State Fish and Wildlife and tribal fishery managers continue to work out the details on 2016-17 salmon fishing seasons, and as of Wednesday contrary to what has been heard in other media outlets there is no agreement. “Currently we do not have an agreement with our co-managers and we are collaboratively working on finalizing agreed to fisheries, model runs and monitoring,” said Ron Warren, the state Fish and Wildlife salmon policy manager. “Until we can sign off on the details that would have taken place in the middle of this past April, and make sure all of the dots and periods are signed off we cannot move forward with any of our joint consultation to NOAA Fisheries.” Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

Province said to be ‘controlling agenda’ on sewage
With some kicking and screaming, Capital Regional District directors officially ceded control of the core area’s sewage-treatment program on Wednesday, reluctantly agreeing to terms to establish a new independent wastewater project board of experts to oversee the mega-project. Several directors complained they were being asked to be financially responsible for a treatment plan that they will have no part in crafting…. The CRD has been trying to come up with a plan for sewage treatment since 2006, when an environmental assessment of the seabeds around the outfalls found them to be contaminated. As a result, the province directed the region to put in secondary treatment. After years of planning, the CRD got close to getting shovels in the ground two years ago with a proposed single regional plant at the site of a former tank farm at Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point. That plan, with an estimated price tag of $788 million, was abandoned because Esquimalt would not approve minor zoning variances for the McLoughlin site and the province refused to override the decision. Bill Cleverely reports. (Times Colonist)

Nanaimo pulp mill to pay $135,000 penalty
Nanaimo’s Harmac Pacific pulp mill will pay $135,000 in penalties under the Fisheries Act as a result of a June 2013 power failure that caused it to spill raw effluent into an arm of the Strait of Georgia for 90 minutes. The mill’s owner, Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd., pleaded guilty in provincial court in Nanaimo on April 8 to one charge of depositing a deleterious substance into fish habitat related to the June 26, 2013 incident, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The power failure at a pump house led to the spill of 3.75 million litres of untreated pulp mill effluent, enough liquid to fill one-and-a-half Olympic swimming pools, into Northumberland Channel, the body of water separating Nanaimo and Gabriola Island. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Automated monitor provides early warning of harmful algae blooms
Automated equipment installed Monday off the Washington Coast will track concentrations of six species of plankton that could become harmful to humans and marine species. The Environmental Sample Processor, or ESP, collects discrete samples of water and processes them for analysis. Imbedded modules can test for DNA and antibodies to identify the organisms picked up in the seawater. Concentrations of the plankton and their toxins are sent to shore-based researchers via satellite. The equipment was installed by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Efforts To Ban Oil Projects In Vancouver [WA] Move Forward
Efforts to ban future crude oil projects in Vancouver are moving forward. The city of Vancouver’s planning commission voted Tuesday to prohibit future crude oil storage facilities. “And to prohibit the expansion of any existing crude oil facilities,” said Sandra Towne, the city’s long-range planning manager. The proposal would also prohibit petroleum refineries, she said. Vancouver has a moratorium on crude oil projects that the city council has extended several times. The current ban expires in mid-August. Conrad Wilson reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Leave Burns Bog alone, says conservation society
A development proposal in Delta — west of Highway 91 — has the Burns Bog Conservation Society concerned. Although the prospective industrial rezoning would be outside the designated protected zone, it would still be located close to the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area. The society has been lobbying against it for some time…. MK Delta Lands Group owns approximately 500 acres of land in Delta. Its proposal involves one of its five parcels of land. It also includes the transfer of 328 acres to the Corporation of Delta for conservation. Tina Lovgreen reports. (CBC)

Edmonds kayaker catches record 124-pound halibut off Neah Bay
A fish tale blending equal parts of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” and the classic “teach a man to fish” parable recently unwound in the Pacific Ocean near Neah Bay. Leo Vergara, a 34-year-old Edmonds angler, achieved his fishing dream near Strawberry Rock in Makah Bay: he caught a halibut while sea kayaking. Vergara’s catch was no chicken of the sea: he brought ashore a monster flatfish that eventually topped the scales at 124 pounds at Big Salmon Fishing Resort on Saturday, May 14. Michael Carman reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

TODAY W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Velella velella stink up a Haida Gwaii beach
Thousands of little blue sea creatures have washed up on the shores of Haida Gwaii and have left a stench. They are called Velella velella — small, carnivorous creatures related to the jellyfish. They usually float in the open ocean but they can't swim, so their movements are dictated by the wind and the currents — earning them the nickname, by-the-wind sailors. Sometimes when the wind changes direction they get pushed around and end up drifting to the shores where they pile up, looking like deflated balloons. Tina Lovgreen reports. (CBC)

Harbour seals in Strait of Georgia healthier than Puget Sound
Levels of two “persistent organic pollutants” in harbour seals have declined dramatically over the decades, but remain considerably higher in Washington state’s Puget Sound than in southern B.C. waters, new research shows…. The study obtained blubber samples from four-to-six-week-old seals at four sites: Hornby Island in the Strait of Georgia, Burrard Inlet near Port Moody, Smith Island in eastern Juan de Fuca Strait near the Canada-U.S. border, and Gertrude Island in southern Puget Sound near Tacoma in Washington state…. Toxins such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, used as industrial coolants) and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used as flame retardants) bioaccumulate in the blubber and provide an indication of pollution near the top of the food chain. The study showed that harbour seals in southern Puget Sound are four to five more times contaminated with PCBs and 1.8 times more with PBDEs than their counterparts at the other Salish Sea sites. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Pierce County sewer plant expansion has green benefits
One day, recycled Pierce County sewage could water the greens at Chambers Bay golf course. The new source of irrigation water for the course and surrounding parklands is one benefit of a $342 million expansion of the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, county officials say. While the irrigation system to make use of the reclaimed water possible will take some time, other benefits of the sewer plant upgrade are close. Brynn Grimley reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Poulsbo Marine Science Center gets a SEA change
Poulsbo's Marine Science Center became the SEA Discovery Center with the swipe of a pen and unveiling of a new sign Tuesday afternoon. Western Washington University will take over the center's youth programs, floating lab, aquarium and museum while leasing the building from Poulsbo at no cost until the facility can be fully handed over to the Bellingham-based university…. The facility's new name comes from the location by Liberty Bay that connects to Puget Sound and is an acronym for the center's three service components: science, education and aquarium. Rachel Seymour reports. (Kitsap Sun)

What will happen when Mount Rainier erupts?
When geologist Carolyn Driedger talks about Mount Rainier, she feels like she’s trash-talking…. She’s talking about a possible eruption, which could happen in our lifetime. Statistics show there’s a volcanic eruption in the Cascades two to three times every century; Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in that range. Joshua McNichols reports. (KUOW)

Victoria city staff recommend 10-cent bag levy to reduce waste
In a move some critics say is too timid, Victoria city staff are recommending that businesses be encouraged to introduce a levy of at least 10 cents apiece on plastic and paper bags to reduce their use. Collected fees could be reinvested in improving and reducing business packaging, says a staff report to be considered by councillors this week. Staff recommend the city hold meetings with businesses and waste-management stakeholders before the end of next month and, based on the feedback, work with local businesses and retailers to promote the voluntary fee structure. Another recommendation is to help develop a working group to improve management of single-use retail bags, single-use beverage containers, food packaging and plastic film products. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

More tanker traffic bad news for orcas
The highest-visibility impact of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, as far as Victoria is concerned, would be the tanker traffic going by the waterfront. The National Energy Board devoted several chapters to the marine effects of the proposed new line from Edmonton to Burnaby. It concluded, as with all the other aspects of the pipeline, the rewards outweigh the risks. The marine risks relate to ship movements, and there would more of them. The Burnaby terminal now dispatches about five tankers a month on the 296-kilometre, 15-hour trip out Burrard Inlet, through the Gulf Islands, past Victoria and out to the end of Canadian waters. Twinning the existing pipeline would increase that by about 30 ships. That’s 360 departures a year, meaning 360 more arrivals a year, for a total of 720 more ship movements a year. But Trans Mountain supplied a traffic study of the Salish Sea circa 2012 to the NEB and it shows how busy the Juan de Fuca, Haro and Georgia straits already are. Those supertankers cruising off in the distance that are so familiar to beachfront strollers really add up. The study counted 1,197 tanker movements a year through Juan de Fuca Strait, most of them headed to the U.S. refineries around Cherry Point. There are 391 tankers a year in Haro Strait, on the Canadian side, and similar numbers in the Strait of Georgia and in Vancouver’s harbour. Tankers are only a small part of the 23,000 ship movements a year in Juan de Fuca and Georgia straits. The increase in traffic that would result from the new pipeline would include corresponding increases in tug traffic along the route. Of all the marine life that could be affected, the endangered southern resident killer whales — 84 members as of December — are likely the highest-profile example. They’ve been symbolic of the West Coast for generations, and have the most emotional impact on the most people. The news on that front is bad, and worse. Les Leyne writes. (Times Colonist)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Washington’s 46-year-old black rockfish record broken
After 46 years, Washington has a new state record black rockfish, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed today. The fish weighing 10.72 pounds was caught on May 15 by Steven Charles Orr of Rochester, Washington. The fish, measuring 26.15 inches long, was hooked in Marine Area 1 near Ilwaco, Pacific County. Orr said he was bait fishing with herring. Rich Landers reports. (Spokesman-Review)

Colstrip power-plant operator plans to quit plants within two years
The operator of the four coal-fired power plants at Colstrip told plant owners Monday it plans to exit as operator within two years, MTN News has learned. State Sens. Jim Keane and Duane Ankney confirmed Monday they’d been told Talen Energy of Allentown, Pa., informed the plants’ utility owners that it no longer wants to operate the power plants in southeastern Montana. Ankney, of Colstrip, also said Talen has asked to “expedite” its request to expedite as plant operator, and possibly quit its role earlier than two years. Mike Dennison reports. (MTN News)

British Columbia’s oyster sector focuses on protocol, safety
When Canada’s food safety agency announced a recall of B.C. oysters last August, it meant producers like Steve Pocock had to ensure every last oyster they had shipped after a certain date was accounted for. Along with a recall – issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) after dozens of people got sick as a result of eating raw oysters contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio parahaemolyticus – there was a ban on restaurants serving raw oysters from British Columbia. The inconvenience and forgone sales added up to a big hit for Mr. Pocock and other producers in British Columbia’s oyster sector. Over the past few months, they have been working to prevent a repeat scenario. Wendy Stueck reports. (Globe and Mail)

Port of Seattle wants to ready Terminal 5 for big ships
A glimpse of the future of the marine cargo business came in February, when the Benjamin Franklin arrived in Elliott Bay. The largest cargo ship ever in Puget Sound called at Terminal 18 on Harbor Island, which can hold two mega ships. The Northwest Seaport Alliance wants to be able to dock two more at Terminal 5. On Monday, the Port of Seattle released a draft environmental impact statement for the modernization project, and opened about a month's worth of public comment. Graham Johnson reports. (KIRO)

The State of North America’s Birds 2016
The North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) just released The State of North America's Birds 2016, based on the first-ever conservation vulnerability assessment for all 1,154 native bird species that occur in Canada, the continental United States, and Mexico. The assessment was compiled by a team of experts from all three countries and includes an interactive species assessment table, conservation status descriptions, levels of conservation concern for 9 major habitat types, and much more.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Salmonberry Bird
The native names of birds sometimes distill the essence of their appearance or behavior. In the Cherokee language, for instance, the Meadowlark is called "star," because of the way the bird's tail spreads out when it soars. To the Northwest Coastal people, this Swainson's Thrush is known as the "Salmonberry Bird." The name derives from its annual arrival in the Pacific Northwest in May, when salmonberries ripen in the forests. Here, the Salmonberry Bird is seen eating elderberries. (BirdNote)

Deadly salmon disease found in B.C. farmed stock, federal scientists say
A feared viral disease proven deadly in Norwegian fish farms has been confirmed for the first time by federal scientists studying farmed salmon in B.C. Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) has been linked to the deaths of up to 20 per cent of stock at some Norwegian farms. "The concern is that it is a disease that hasn't previously been detected in B.C. and at the present time we really don't have sufficient evidence to know if it causes mortality or is a production issue here," said Kristi Miller, part of a team of federal scientists studying farmed fish samples from sites along the B.C. coast. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC)

New theory rethinks spread of PCBs and other toxics in Puget Sound
Recent findings about how toxic chemicals creep into the food web, causing harm to species from herring and salmon to killer whales, could strengthen commitments to control pollution pouring into Puget Sound. Researchers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and other agencies have been tracking toxic chemicals — including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — as they move from smaller to larger animals in Puget Sound. In doing so, the researchers confronted a perplexing problem. Compared to other waterways, Puget Sound seems to have a considerably higher level of PCBs in its living creatures — even though the concentration in bottom sediments is not as high as in other regions. Jim West and Sandie O’Neill of WDFW say the difference may lie with the beginning of the food web, where harmful chemicals first enter the waterway. If borne out, their findings could result in a shift in thinking about the biological transfer of contaminants. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound)

Coal hearing expected to draw big crowds Tuesday
It’s finally here. A hearing on a draft environmental impact study for the controversial Longview coal terminal will take place Tuesday at the Cowlitz Expo Center. Expect big crowds, rallies, traffic, signs and flags. The marathon day of presentations and public testimony kicks off at 1 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m., with an hour-long break at 4 p.m. Estimates of the potential crowd size vary, but a previous public hearing on Millennium Bulk Terminal’s proposal drew 1,300 people. Marissa Luck reports. (Longview Daily News)

Navy Allowed to Kill or Injure Nearly 12 Million Whales, Dolphins, Other Marine Mammals in Pacific
What if you were told the US Navy is legally permitted to harass, injure or kill nearly 12 million whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and seals across the North Pacific Ocean over a five-year period? It is true, and over one-quarter of every tax dollar you pay is helping to fund it. A multistate, international citizen watchdog group called the West Coast Action Alliance (WCAA), tabulated numbers that came straight from the Navy's Northwest Training and Testing EIS (environmental impact statement) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Letters of Authorization for incidental "takes" of marine mammals issued by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. A "take" is a form of harm to an animal that ranges from harassment, to injury, and sometimes to death. Many wildlife conservationists see even "takes" that only cause behavior changes as injurious, because chronic harassment of animals that are feeding or breeding can end up harming, or even contributing to their deaths if they are driven out of habitats critical to their survival. Dahr Jamail reports. (Truthout)

First Nations vow to fight Trans Mountain despite NEB approval
The First Nation question — can aboriginal opponents stop Kinder Morgan’s $6.8-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion — looms large after the project passed a major hurdle with approval Thursday from the National Energy Board. Some First Nations, including the Simpcw in the Interior, are supportive. But key First Nations on the coast remain opposed, including the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam. First Nations in the northwest U.S. are also opposed and reiterated their opposition Thursday, saying they were “extremely” disappointed with the NEB decision. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Big oil vs. big whale: Will pipeline trump iconic orca?
If you don't live on the West Coast, perhaps it's hard to appreciate just how poorly approving an oil pipeline at the expense of an endangered population of killer whales might play out. To give it an Eastern perspective, it's a bit like saying Bonhomme might have to die to make way for a new museum dedicated to Stephen Harper's legacy. In approving Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion this week, the National Energy Board said it weighed the benefits of the project against its burdens. Among the "adverse effects" deemed to be most "significant" were those likely to impact a population of about 80 southern resident killer whales found off the coast of Vancouver Island. Jason Proctor reports. (CBC)

If you like to watch:Octopus goes head-to-head with robot
An octopus laid claim to a cable coil as a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) was trying to do some work on the Ocean Networks Canada underwater observatory off the coast of Vancouver Island. The octopus can be seen fighting with the ROV named Hercules — the octopus tries to get in the way of it so it can`t undo a knot. Watch here. Tina Lovgreen reports. (CBC)

Correction ordered for Thurston County gopher review process
Opponents of Thurston County’s interim building permitting process on potential Mazama pocket gopher habitat hope a recent state board ruling will bolster a lawsuit they filed last year in Lewis County. The Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board ruled last week that a portion of Thurston County’s permitting process was out of compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act. The board found that the county’s Interim Screening Process resulted in de facto amendments to the county’s Critical Area Ordinance by placing controls on land use activities that differ substantially from the current Critical Area Ordinance adopted in 2012. It also determined that the county didn’t include public comment or participation in the change to the development regulation. Lisa Pemberton reports. (Olympian)

Eelgrass a vital source food and shelter in Salish Sea
Eelgrass is appropriately named because it’s an underwater grass, not a seaweed. Meadows of eelgrass grow from muddy, sandy bottoms in shallow marine waters in Whatcom County and elsewhere in the Salish Sea. Like other grasses, eelgrass flourishes in the spring and summer and decays in the fall and winter. The bacteria and decaying plant and animal matter that collect on and in eelgrass provide important food for assorted marine creatures. That, in turn, makes eelgrass beds important feeding areas for birds and fish. It also provides shelter and breeding habitat for young fish, crabs, snails, and other marine life. (Whatcom Magazine)

Grand Opening Saturday For New Marine Life Center On Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is getting a new tourist attraction. The University of Oregon is holding a ribbon cutting and grand opening Saturday in Charleston at the mouth of Coos Bay for its new Marine Life Center. The center is part museum, part aquarium and part learning lab and gallery. It was a long time in coming. Several directors cobbled together grants, donations and leftovers from other projects to create the facility from relatively little money over about nine years. It is located on the campus of the University of Oregon's marine lab overlooking the marina in Charleston. The attraction features five galleries of exhibits and fish tanks with highlights including complete whale and sea lion skeletons, touch tanks and a working undersea robot vehicle. The focus is on the marine life and fisheries of Oregon. Tom Banse reports. (KPLU)

TONIGHT W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Reclaiming the Duwamish River is about reclaiming ourselves
Through photographs and words, “Once & Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish” explores the complicated relationship between Seattleites and their only river. Central to the indigenous settlement that preceded the city, the Duwamish also was critical to Seattle’s founding and growth, but it has paid a steep price. Straightened, filled with trash and toxins, and generally neglected by those who benefited from it the most, the river was declared a Superfund site in 2001. Co-author Tom Reese writes. (Seattle Times)

NEB approves Trans Mountain pipeline with 157 conditions
The federal government now has seven months to make a decision on the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, after the national regulator gave its support to the proposed project. The National Energy Board is recommending the multi-billion dollar pipeline be constructed if 157 conditions are met, including 49 environmental requirements. The NEB described the requirements as achievable for the company. Kinder Morgan must meet the conditions in order for the company to construct and operate the pipeline. Kyle Bakx reports. (CBC) See also: Not so fast: B.C. government clashes with NEB on Trans Mountain approval Politicians and First Nations express concerns about spill response and environmental impact Richard Zussman reports. (CBC) And also: Canadian board backs pipeline expansion that would add tankers to Puget Sound A Canadian energy board has recommended approval of a major pipeline- expansion project that would dramatically increase Puget Sound oil-tanker traffic. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Activists in Pacific Northwest Vow to Keep Fossil Fuel Industry on Notice
They call it a tipping point. It began with the "Shell No" mobilization last spring, when activists in Portland and Seattle thwarted the oil giant's Arctic drilling plans. Now, after days of successful mass actions with the Break Free From Fossil Fuels campaign, in which thousands of protesters on six continents took defiant action earlier this month to keep fossil fuels in the ground, from the coal fields of Germany to the oil wells in Nigeria, a cross-regional campaign that's taken root in the Pacific Northwest is vowing to continue the momentum. Martha Baskin reports. (Truthout)

Guided walks offer a deeper glimpse at Nisqually refuge
Covering more than 4,500 acres, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a remarkable place to explore. The varied habitats include the riparian forest along the Nisqually River and the salt marshes where the land intersects with Puget Sound. More than 300 species of wildlife and fish can be found at the refuge. To help visitors better understand the natural and cultural history of the area, the refuge offers interpretive walks each weekend. These walks are led by local experts and offer participants an in-depth look at different aspects of the refuge. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Why your camera sees the Northern Lights better than you do
On Mother's Day, the skies over the Puget Sound region danced to life with one of the most brilliant Northern Lights displays in several years. Social media pages were flooded with photos showing elaborate curtains of green and purple lights stretched across the nighttime skies. The show was so intense, the lights were visible to the naked eye-- a rarity in Western Washington as it takes a very strong storm for the lights to be intense enough to make it this far south and shine through the city lights. I was one who was out at 1:10 a.m. and saw the skies illuminate in gorgeous green hues. But the show I saw was nowhere near as bright or colorful as what cameras standing right next to me happened to capture. And in other past shows that haven't been as intense, the only way to see them has been in photographs; even the photographers couldn't really notice the lights unless they looked at their camera displays. Then we'd get gorgeous photos posted to Twitter or Facebook of the green glow and others who race out to see them would come back disappointed. Why is that? Scott Sistek explains. (KOMO)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Transient orcas visiting northwest waters in record number
Now deemed “resident transients,” mammal-eating orcas are becoming familiar visitors to northwest waters. "I remember Dr. John Ford (head of the Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Biological Station) telling me at least 10 years ago that by this time we’d start seeing an influx of transient killer whales in the Salish Sea, and he was right,” explained Capt. Mark Malleson, of Prince of Whales Whale Watching. Scientists and whale watchers report that a boom in the pinniped population -- seals and sea lions --means a set table for the orcas. (KIRO)

U.S. tribes mobilize against giant proposed Canadian pipeline, oil export terminal
An oil pipeline bigger than Keystone XL, which would put 40 tankers a month into waters shared by the U.S. and Canada, is expected to get a green light -- with conditions -- Thursday afternoon by Canada's National Energy Board. But the battle over Kinder Morgan Inc.'s proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline system is far from over. Four Puget Sound Native American tribes have joined with aboriginal First Nations in British Columbia and climate activists to resist the proposed project. The pipeline would carry up to 890,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta's tar sands to Burnaby, just east of Vancouver. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Central Saanich says no to Malahat LNG proposal
The District of Central Saanich has expressed strong opposition to the proposed Malahat Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project being touted by company Steelhead LNG and members from the community were right behind them. On May 9, President of Steelhead LNG Victor Ojeda gave a presentation to the municipality, with technical advisor Ian Hill and the CEO of the Malahat First Nation, Renee Racette. Carlie Connolly reports. (Peninsula News Review)

Low salmon stocks cause increased interactions between bears and humans: study
Low salmon stocks in B.C. waterways cause an increase in conflicts between humans and bears, and killing problem bears doesn't actually reduce the frequency of human-bear interactions. That's according to a new study by B.C. researchers — published in Scientific Reports — which looked at 35 years of data relating to conflicts between humans and grizzly bears in B.C. For bear populations that feed on spawning salmon, the study found that for every 50-per-cent decrease in salmon populations, the annual number of bears killed per square kilometre increased by an average of 20 per cent. Gavin Fisher reports. (CBC)

B.C. premier says it’s time Ottawa approves LNG, but denies linkage to oil pipelines
B.C. Premier Christy Clark says it’s long past time for the federal government to issue environmental permits for a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas terminal in Prince Rupert. Clark’s demand ups the pressure on the Trudeau Liberals, who have so far avoided hard decisions on resource projects that are being squeezed between pro-development premiers and environmental and indigenous opponents. But the B.C. premier isn’t laying the blame at the feet of the Liberal government elected last October, saying the bid by Indonesian giant Petronas for its Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal began more than three years ago. (Canadian Press)

Third class of Salish Sea Stewards ready for summer
The third class of Salish Sea Stewards is ready to hit area beaches in the name of citizen science, after graduating Tuesday from the program. The Salish Sea Stewards is a one-of-a-kind program in the region dedicated to educating and training volunteers to help with area research, outreach and events. The work the stewards do to help nonprofit and government agencies collect data is important in the efforts to protect and restore Puget Sound, Northwest Straits Commission Director Ginny Broadhurst said during the graduation. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Parks Canada airbombs poison pellets to wipe out rats in B.C. national park
Parks Canada says it has wiped out invasive rats on two islands in Haida Gwaii, B.C., helping important seabirds species recover by doing so…. The news comes on the heels of the first State of North America's Birds report, that found one third of birds in North America are threatened with extinction, especially ocean birds. The rats threaten seabirds like ancient murrelets — a species at risk that is culturally significant to the Haida Nation — by eating their eggs and chicks. Maryse Zeidler reports. (CBC)

‘Save’ a baby bison? Visitors to our coast once ‘rescued’ a seal pup The recent incident at Yellowstone has tongues wagging about tourists’ naiveté. Park rangers and wilderness experts in the Northwest try to be sympathetic to people who are perhaps new to the outdoors. But still, they’re sometimes left shaking their heads. Eric Lacitis reports. (Seattle Times)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

NOAA: Dungeness crab in peril from acidification
The Dungeness crab fishery could decline West Coastwide, a new study has found, threatening a fishing industry worth nearly a quarter-billion dollars a year. Scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle found that pH levels likely in West Coast waters by 2100 at current rates of greenhouse-gas pollution would hurt the survivability of crab larvae. Increasing ocean acidification is predicted to harm a wide range of sea life unable to properly form calcium carbonate shells as the pH drops. Now scientists at the NOAA’s Northwest Fishery Science Center of Seattle also have learned that animals with chiton shells — specifically Dungeness crabs — are affected, because the change in water chemistry affects their metabolism. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Trudeau government names Trans Mountain environmental review panel
The federal government has announced the first of its promised additional environmental reviews of two pipeline projects that are already before the National Energy Board. The new, three-member panel will look into the proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipelines. The members announced by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr Tuesday are: Annette Trimbee, the president of the University of Winnipeg and a former deputy finance minister in Alberta…. Tony Penikett, the former premier of Yukon and the author of Reconciliation: First Nations Treaty Making in British Columbia…. Kim Baird, former elected chief of B.C.'s Tsawwassen First Nation, who now runs her own consulting firm specializing in indigenous policy, governance and development issues. Chris Hall reports. (CBC)

‘Sonic Sea’ movie takes us to the underwater world of sound
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "“Sonic Sea,” which will air Thursday on Discovery Channel, will take you down beneath the ocean waves, where sounds take on new meaning, some with dangerous implications. Humans spend most of their time in air, a medium that transmits light so well that we have no trouble seeing the shapes of objects in a room or mountains many miles away. In the same way, water is the right medium for sound, which shapes the world of marine mammals and other species that live under water. The hour-long documentary film reveals how humpback whales use low-frequency sounds to communicate with other whales across an entire ocean and how killer whales use high-frequency sound to locate their prey in dark waters…."

Ten things you need to know about British Columbia spot prawns
A decade ago, British Columbia spot prawns were a bottom-of-the-barrel seafood product – the mushy filler for chowder and fortifier of cheap fish stock. Last weekend, the luxury crustaceans were toasted with Moët & Chandon champagne. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the B.C. Spot Prawn Festival kicked off Friday night with a black-tie gala at the tony, private Vancouver Club. The splashy fete featured the delicacy in six courses – melted into “liquid gold,” smoked over rosemary, poached with grand-fir tips and chopped into XO sauce – prepared by famous chefs from Vancouver and across the country. Gala guests wore ball gowns and tuxedos and the soaring calla lily floral arrangements were lavish. The scene was about as far removed from a dockside spot-prawn boil as one could imagine. So how did the humble B.C. spot prawn go from being an unappreciated toss-away ingredient to one of Canada’s signature seafood luxury products coveted in restaurants around the world? Here’s what you need to know. Alexandra Gill reports. (Globe and Mail)

Mount Polley expect to go into full production, use repaired dam next month
Imperial Metals, despite setbacks in dealing with mine waste while running at reduced capacity at its Mount Polley gold and copper mine, expects to have permits in place to go to full production next month. The company also expects to have approval from the B.C. government to begin depositing mine waste in June at its large storage facility for the first time since a catastrophic failure of a rock and earth dam nearly two years ago. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vicious, and delicious: Humboldt squid now sustainable Ocean Wise restaurant fare
First they invaded the waters off the West Coast of British Columbia. Now the feared Humboldt squid is landing on restaurant menus on Vancouver Island. The man-sized cephalopod — also known as the jumbo flying squid, diablo rojo — is known to attack divers and fishermen. It is usually found in South America, all the way up to California, but it began appearing on the B.C. coast several years ago. Victoria's Fish Hook restaurant serves the squid in dishes ranging from calamari-like pakoras to masala-corn curry. Deborah Wilson reports. (CBC)

Fossil fuels protest comes with hefty price tag
he Skagit County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the preliminary costs for it to staff the Break Free PNW protest event this past weekend were $92,000. Of that, about $70,000 went to overtime, said Jackie Brunson, chief of administrative services at the office. Brunson estimated that final costs for the office will be about $100,000. (Skagit Valley Herald)

About a ton of debris left after climate protest near Anacortes
Authorities say about a ton of debris was left on the ground after weekend environmental protest in northwest Washington. The anti-oil protesters told KING-TV they were forced to leave the area and didn’t have time to grab all their belongings before being arrested. Local authorities say the debris they took to the dump included camping equipment left by people who slept on railroad tracks near Anacortes…. The Skagit County Public Works department hauled away 2,300 pounds of debris. The activists say those items were valuable gear, camping equipment and clothing they never wanted to leave behind. (Associated Press)

Is your favorite beach safe for swimming?
The water bubbles from the small plastic container in Jim Ellis' hands. He's holding it about six inches under the surface of the nearly totally clear water a few feet from shore at Bracket's Landing Beach in Edmonds…. Jim is knee-deep not only in the chilly Puget Sound water, but his WSU Beach Watcher volunteer hours, too. He's one of more than a hundred volunteers that will take weekly water samples at 70 Puget Sound beaches this summer. Tim Joyce reports. (KCPQ)

Bigg's killer whales become regulars in Pacific Northwest water
Transient whales, also known as Bigg’s killer whales, were familiar visitors to Pacific Northwest waters this spring. “Sure enough, we’ve had record sightings of Bigg’s whales in these waters the last several years and we just may top that this year,” says Capt,. Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria. “Some of the transients are almost becoming ‘resident transients’ – the T065As for example were reported over 40 days in the Salish Sea in both 2014 and 2015.” (KING)

Do call it a comeback — how the checkerspot butterfly found salvation in a women’s prison
You may have heard about how the honey bee’s decline is threatening the world’s food crops. Well they’re not the only pollinators in trouble. The Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly was also facing extinction in the face of its shrinking prairie habitat. But thanks to an innovative breeding program at a women’s prison outside Seattle, it’s making a comeback. Cat Wise reports. (PBS Newshour)

Big win for small mammal
Efforts to revive the Olympic Peninsula's fisher population have helped the furry mammal narrowly avoid listing under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently determined that the distinct population of West Coast fisher is not at risk for extinction and does not require ESA protections. The service praised the "proactive fisher conservation efforts" led by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which began a fisher reintroduction program on the peninsula in 2008 and is now expanding it to the Cascade Range. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsapp Sun)

Unexpected Edmonds Fishing Pier repairs to cost nearly $400K
Following news earlier in the day that completion of the Edmonds Fishing Pier Rehabilitation Project will take longer than expected due to “poor quality original construction,” the Edmonds City Council learned at its Tuesday night meeting that it will cost nearly $400,000 more than was budgeted to complete the work. The main focus of the project was to repair the underlying support beams, which were showing significant rust and oxidation. But when the contractors began work, they discovered unanticipated significant damage, City Engineer Rob English told the council. (My Edmonds)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

PHOTOS: Protesters Around The World Target Fossil Fuel Industry
They came on kayaks and on bikes. They hunkered down in hammocks and on train tracks. They marched at refineries and did morning yoga at mines. For nearly two weeks, demonstrators on six continents gathered to protest climate change — and, in particular, the fossil fuel industry. Camila Domonoske reports. (NPR)

Railroad says Washington worst-case oil spill could cost $775 million
If an oil train derailed in Washington and dumped most of its cargo, cleanup costs could exceed $775 million, according to documents BNSF Railway Co. provided to the state. But BNSF — the largest rail shipper of crude oil to Washington refineries — declined to provide information about its insurance coverage for releases of hazardous materials. Instead, company officials referred state regulators to BNSF’s annual report, which lists 2015 revenues of $22 billion but includes a risk statement that says the cost of a catastrophic event could exceed the railroad’s insurance limits. For the first time, railroads hauling crude oil through Washington were required to report the estimated cleanup cost for a “reasonable, worst case” spill and provide insurance information and other financial assurance of their ability to cover the costs. However, the state can’t force federally regulated railroads to comply with the new rule. Becky Kramer reports. (Spokesman-Review)

Trudeau government to kick off new pipeline reviews by naming Trans Mountain panel today
The federal government will announce on Tuesday the first of its promised additional environmental reviews of two pipeline projects that are already before the National Energy Board, CBC News has learned. The new, three-member panel will look into the proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Pipelines. It will be announced by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr. The company wants to add a second pipeline alongside the original that was built in 1953 to carry oil from Edmonton to Burnaby. If approved, the twin lines would carry nearly 900,000 barrels of crude a day starting in 2018. Chris Hall reports. (CBC)

Canada’s environment minister wants details of B.C. climate change plan
Canada’s Environment Minister wants to see significant action by the British Columbia government to combat climate change as Ottawa mulls approval of a giant project to export liquefied natural gas from the province’s northern coast. The federal cabinet expects to make a decision on the $36-billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project by late June. Backed by Malaysian giant Petronas, the LNG export terminal promises $2.5-billion in annual government tax revenue, but will generate some 5.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – enough to boost the province’s total emissions of greenhouse gases by 8.5 per cent. That makes it the most serious test so far of the federal Liberal government’s willingness to balance its ambitious climate-change agenda with a desire to rejuvenate a moribund economy. Nathan Vanderklippe and Justine Hunter report. (Globe and Mail)

Using Lasers to Map in Glorious Detail
Hakai Institute scientists working on the Central Coast of British Columbia, from archaeologists to forest ecologists, need high-quality maps of what ecosystems cover the islands. But islands in this part of BC are covered by impassable terrain—boot-snatching bogs, impenetrable thickets of salal bushes, and shifty sand dunes. Calvert Island and its neighbor, Hecate Island, together make up an area larger than the city of Montreal. Mapping it the conventional way, on foot, would be nearly impossible. High-tech strategies, such as aerial photos, are better, but still limited. Hakai researchers have spent the last four years taking it to the next level: lasers. Josh Silberg reports. (Hakai)

Judge: Failed salmon restoration has cost billions
It’s Groundhog Day. Again. Or maybe not. On May 3, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon trashed the federal government’s plan for managing dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries, saying it leaves threatened and endangered salmon at risk of extinction. This makes the fifth time since the Columbia’s salmon were protected under the Endangered Species Act that a federal court has tossed a biological opinion on the dams. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Trudeau accused of breaking promise on West Coast marine safety
Longtime Quadra Island politician Jim Abram says he heard Justin Trudeau promise one thing before the election and something else after it. Abram, vice-chair of the Strathcona Regional District, said the prime minister has broken a “face-to-face” promise he made to Abram concerning commitments to marine safety on the West Coast…. The talk with Trudeau occurred in an Edmonton restaurant last June when the Liberal leader was hosting a reception to seek support for his election campaign. Abram said there was “no doubt” that Trudeau was promising support for the ferries, marine safety and marine communications…. Critics say Liberal cuts to maritime safety include the closure of an emergency Marine Communications and Traffic centre in Comox on May 10; reducing the number of “safety” desks at the remaining Canadian Coast Guard centres in B.C. from five to four; cutting the number of supervisors and trimming the national budget for the centres from $49 million to $42 million. Kent Spencer reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482